Clooney Finally Ready To Make Farragut North, And Maybe With Chris Pine

Nearly three years ago Josh brought you the news that Leonardo DiCaprio would be starring in an adaptation of a play called Farragut North, and nerd that he is, he immediately thought of the Starship Farragut, the first ship served by one Captain James T. Kirk. Yes, really. It's too bad Josh didn't just wait three years to make his Star Trek jokes, though, because now they're actually appropriate-- Vulture is reporting that Chris Pine, the new James T. Kirk himself, may be stepping into the role once meant for DiCaprio.

This is all happening now because George Clooney is finally ready to direct the film, making it his first directorial effort since Good Night, and Good Luck. Vulture writes that Clooney plans to start shooting in February with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti definitely on board, offers out to Evan Rachel Wood and Marisa Tomei, and apparently plans to approach Chris Pine to play the lead. The movie is an adaptation of the play by Beau Willimon, about all the political dirty tricks that go into winning the Iowa state caucuses for a certain political candidate. Pine would play the campaign operative responsible for the nastiness, with Hoffman as his boss and Giamatti as the campaign manager for the competition.

Pine actually has some background with the role, having starred in an L.A. production of Farragut North last year, so he's both a logical choice as a rising star and as an actor who can handle the job. And now that Josh can make his Star Trek jokes in peace, it seems like everyone wins.